Nanaimo is the second largest city on Vancouver Island and one of the towns that has a ferry that frequents the island from Vancouver. To get to Nanaimo, there is also a sea plane company that flies out of Richmond or Vancouver airport for a fairly reasonable price in comparison to some of the bus companies if you book online. The ferry terminal is a fair distance from the downtown region and you will need to take a bus from here to downtown Nanaimo to find your Nanaimo hostel. Hostels in Nanaimo are all located quite centrally to the main strip of shops and restaurants. You will find all of the major amenities that you will need during your stay here within walking distance.

Nanaimo has a reputation for being grimy and a bit sketchy. It is not a place that is safe in some areas and you should refrain from walking around late at night if you can avoid it. During the day there are a few different things to explore within the town; however it is not overly touristy and most people don't stop here and breeze right on through to wherever else it is that they are going. So you might want to get a hostel for just a night or two, but If you are here for the day, there is the museum and the Bastion downtown that you can go visit or you can take one of the ferries over to Newcastle Island and go hiking for the day. Other than that, there isn't a great deal to do here and your time on Vancouver Island is best spent elsewhere.